Power Through Spring with these Mantras

Spring is all about change and new beginnings — flowers are in bloom, summer’s in sight, shorts weather isn’t far. But let’s be real: It also means fluke winter-y days (read: snow storms) and rain spells.

Enter: these powerful, positive mantras that have been keeping HB instructors on track, upbeat, and motivated this season. Keep these inspirational phrases handy next time you need a lift (and then hit the saddle to sweat out a bad mood).

YOUR PASSION IS YOUR POWER. FOCUS ON WHAT EXCITES YOU. —Lena Rakijian

POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATE POSITIVE OUTCOMES

“I’ve been going through some health hardships with my family recently. I listened to a podcast last month — and I’ve spoken many times to my classes about this — that [discussed how] a positive, optimistic mind produces enzymes that work positively throughout the body to combat negative things [like sickness, anxiety, and depression]. Similarly, negative thoughts produce negative enzymes that can leave you sick for longer. My mantra lately is: Positive thoughts create positive outcomes. During my classes, I’ll have my riders finish my sentence: ‘Positive thoughts create what, Fenway?’. —Matthew LaPierre

BE AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN YOUR LIFE

“I have been making a conscious effort to take the lead when things I don’t like come up, rather than sitting back and letting life come to me. It is important to make the effort to be the driving force rather than a passenger. I think the HB is a great place to practice this for the real world. [You can] find what it is that day that will keep you one step ahead (like an extra little push though a sprint or one extra turn to the right up a hill). HB gets the ball rolling so you can keep that power and confidence and take it back to the real world.” —Ashley Wagner

BE HERE NOW

“I love the quote, ‘Be here now.’ I try to incorporate it into my classes, particularly when we are doing something challenging. So often, I find myself thinking about the past or the future when I’m going through something difficult. By thinking about the past or future, I make the present experience even more difficult. I tell my classes, ‘Be here now, be in this room, on this bike, and focus on the music.’” —Margaret Harrison

EXPECT GREAT THINGS

“On my mirror, I have a few things that I like to think about each day. That’s one of them.”—Matthew Uzenski

YOU CAN CHANGE

“If you don’t like where you are, then change it. You’re not a tree.” —Eve Morocco

STEP INTO YOUR POWER

“Whenever I doubt myself or start to think negative thoughts, I just repeat these four words to snap myself out of it. I often say this in class before a big sprint or climb to get people out of their heads.” – Raisa Hoffman

WANT THE STRUGGLE

“I’ve been reading the book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, and have taken the following from that read, which I’ve been reminding myself of a lot lately: ‘If you want the reward you have to want the struggle to get there too. Who you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for.’” —Elise Petersen Memmo

WHEN YOU CAN’T FIND THE SUNSHINE, BE THE SUNSHINE

“With the crazy rainy New England weather and spring and summer around the corner, I’m all about finding the good in even the worst situations.” —Jess DuHaime

EMBRACE CHANGE

“‘Embrace change’ is a mantra I am living by lately. The way I think about it, there are two outcomes that come from change: a positive outcome or a negative outcome that you can use to improve and try again. This can be used big picture (a career change or moving cities) or on a much smaller scale (introducing yourself to someone you wouldn’t typically gravitate toward, picking up a heavier weight, or getting up an hour earlier). The possibilities for improvement are endless as long as you get over the fear of failure.” —Candice Peak